Roy Beck: Bogus Immigration Expert

Cloee Cooper • Jun 30, 2010

Roy Beck of NumbersUSA has been called out as a pseudo-environmentalist, a big fat liar, and president of an organization connected to the white nationalist, anti-immigrant John Tanton Network. And still, for some reason, folks in mainstream media think this guy is a good source on all things immigration. Not only is he not an expert on immigration, he is a political extremist dressed up in progressive drag. Roy Beck deserves a big ol’ boot from media rolodexes. Here are eight reasons why he’s less of an expert source and more of a hater:

2. Roy Beck worked for white nationalist John Tanton. From 1994 – 2001, Roy Beck worked as a consultant for John Tanton at U.S. Inc. and was paid consulting fees totaling more than $750,000 according to IRS Form 990s obtained by the Center for New Community.

3. Beck’s organization was founded as a result of funds received from a pro-eugenics foundation. In the 1980s, Beck’s good friend John Tanton (founder of Federation for American Immigration Reform or FAIR) asked for and received over a million dollars from the Pioneer Fund. Tanton used the money to financially support FAIR and create more anti-immigrant organizations, like NumbersUSA.

4. Roy Beck writes for white nationalist publications. At least through 2000 Beck served as an editor for The Social Contract, a quarterly journal published by John Tanton. Until 2005 Beck continued as a regular writer for the publication. The white nationalist journal is currently edited by Wayne Lutton who also serves as a board member for the anti-Semitic Charles Martel Society.

6. Roy Beck’s work is promoted regularly by white supremacist, racist and anti-Semitic organizations and websites. Let’s not forget the campaign NumbersUSA threw together last March that was promoted by white nationalist David Duke, a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Vinlanders Social Club – a midwest coalition of racist skinhead groups with a history of violence against members of the black community, and Stormfront, a leading white nationalist, white supremacist, neo-Nazi, and skinhead social networking forum.

NumbersUSA’s message isn’t meant to resonate with most Americans, it’s meant to speak to those whose views are a lot more extreme. There is a way for the mainstream media to represent both sides of an issue without sourcing political extremists with ties to white nationalists. After all, would it be considered balanced reporting to source David Duke in an article on affirmative action? Absolutely not!